Automatic inkstand



(No Model.)

L. N. THOMAS.

AUTOMATIC INKSTAND. No. 581,497. Patented Apr. 27, 1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT Tricia.

LINCOLN N. THOMAS, OF MADISONVILLE, OHIO.

AUTOMATIC INKSTAND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 581 ,497, dated April 27, 1897.

Application filed 0ot0ber29, 1896. $erial No. 610,516. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LINCOLN N. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Madisonville, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Automatic Inkstands, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to automatic inkstands, especially to those having a floatvalve or buoyant automatic stopper, which obviates both dust and evaporation and at the same time permits ready access to the ink for dipping the pen; and it consists in the novel features of construction hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a central sectional elevation of my invention in its preferred form; and Fig. 2 is a similar View, but of a modified form, and showing my invention as applied in the top of a school or other desk, said desk top being shown broken off.

A represents the body of the inkstand, having an ink-well a, which is straight vertically and very deep, but narrow in diameter, horizontally speaking.

B is a hollow open stopper or ring fitting snugly and tightly, but detachably, within the upper orifice of the ink-well, and provided with a horizontal rim or flange b to serve as a vertical rest-stop therefor.

0 represents a hollow inverted-cup-shaped float or buoyant body having a central upright arm or stem 0, which latter in turn supports a cap D. The upper face of cap D is preferably rounded or convex and its lower. face or bottom is made flat. The parts O c D are by preference made integral, being of molded hard rubber or other suitable buoyant material and cast hollow throughout, as clearly seen in Fig. 1, for increased and better buoyancy.

In operation the float with its adjuncts (the upright stem or arm 0 and convex cap D) is placed in the ink-well, which is filled with ink up to the ring B. Then the latter is insorted, depressing the float devices ahead of it, so that the float and stem are fully submerged, with the periphery of the convex cap bearing under pressure in intimate contact with the lower inner edge of the ring, (which is of ample thickness and depth,) whereby a valved opening is provided for the dipping of the pen. The resistance offered by the buoyant cap D is but slight and easily overcome in dipping the pen, and the ring offers a large opening for the entrance of the pen to the ink, which latter on the lowering of the floatcap is caused to rise over the sides or rim thereof, owing to the displacement action below, and the pen is thus fed with the writing fluid. On withdrawing the pressure of the pen from the cap D the latter instantly recovers and automatically closes the opening in the ring, thus effectually excluding dust, insects, and the like from the ink and preventing waste of the ink by evaporation. The contraction of the float into a narrow slender stem or arm between it and the upper cap D obviously allows a greater supply of ink in the well, and the great vertical depth presents a full action of the float on the ink till at least one-half of it has been exhausted.

A slight but sufficient space is provided bevertical movement and the desired circulation of the ink up and down alongside in the well.

In the modified form seen in Fig. 2 the float Ois made of a solid piece of cork, wood, or other similar buoyant substance, and the stem 0 is pointed at its lower end to admit ready insertion therein for upright support. The cap D is concavo-convex and made integral with the stem, which latter has a transverse opening or passage 0 and a vertical passage 0 whereby the ink is forced upward to overflow on the rounded upper face of the cap when the latter is depressed by the pen, and thus impart an increased supply of ink in the orifice for the dipping or feeding of the pen. I show in this View, Fig. 2, how my inkstand may be made for use in a desk, especially for school-desks, where the waste on account of evaporation and dust is very material. The body or bottle A has a flange a, by which it is suspended in a shouldered opening 6 in the desk-top E. This is very convenient, and no extra swinging lid (usual with school-desk bottles) is necessary, thus saving the expense therefor and their annoying presence on the desk.

I claim 1. In an automatic inkstand, the combination of a body or bottle having a deep vertical well; a ring or internal rim in the upper orifice of said well; a buoyant body or float submerged in the fluid contents of said well and havinga central upright arm or stem surmounted by a valve-head or cap, the latter bearing in intimate contact with the lower edge of said ring or rim by the constant upward, vertical pressure of the said fluid contents resultant from the displacement action caused by the submerging of said float, substantially as herein set forth.

2. In an automatic inkstand, a buoyant body or float composed of a float proper having a central, upright arm or stem, and a convex valve-head or cap surmou'nting' said stein, substantially as herein set forth.

In an automatic inkstaud, a buoyantbody or float composed of a float proper O, a central, upright arm or stem 0, and convex cap or valve-head I), the whole buoyant body being made integral and hollow substantially as herein set forth.

In testimony of which invention 1 have hereunto set my hand.

' LINCOLN N. THOMAS. Vitnesses:

JEROME II. Dnrnns,

JOHN ELIAS J ONES. 

